NEW Crosman 362

[Charly45]

362 holding its own..

[EdinGa]

FYI:

It's illegal to kill grackles: According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, all wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas are protected from harm. ... According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, the common grackle is one of the birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Sep 25, 2017

It's the same here in Georgia. It really aggravates me too. Glad I only have them at my feeders occasionally.

[Firewalker]

FYI:

It's illegal to kill grackles: According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, all wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas are protected from harm. ... According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, the common grackle is one of the birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Sep 25, 2017

It's the same here in Georgia. It really aggravates me too. Glad I only have them at my feeders occasionally.

Grackles and Red Winged Black Birds irritate me too! 

[K.O.]

FYI:

It's illegal to kill grackles: According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, all wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas are protected from harm. ... According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, the common grackle is one of the birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Sep 25, 2017

me I only kill what I eat...with very few exceptions... but do not expect other to think the same... By they way the local starlings taste very good during cherry season... 

well any ways there is also this under the heading wild birds : 

 A permit is not required to control grackles; cowbirds; yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty or Brewer's blackbirds; crows or magpies when these birds are considered a nuisance or causing a public health hazard. No birds may be controlled by any means considered illegal by local city or county ordinance.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/rehab/protected/

[Firewalker]

"a nuisance or causing a public health hazard"

Well played! 

[Wayne52]

Grackles are some nasty birds in my opinion, I never will figure out how they became a protected bird.

[TerryM]

  That starling was the first living creature I pulled the trigger on with this gun.  500+ rounds on paper at 20 yards, mostly with 4 pumps.  I was getting ready to go in, spotted the starling up the alley, atop a pole.  Put in a couple extra pumps and aimed just a tad high.

  The Migratory Bird Treaty Act has been around for a hundred years and is a good thing, overall.  It protects all native non-game birds, some of which would be extinct by now without protection.

[Keepingitsimple]

FYI:

It's illegal to kill grackles: According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, all wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas are protected from harm. ... According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, the common grackle is one of the birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.Sep 25, 2017

Not necessarily.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 43.021, "protected wildlife" means all indigenous mammals, indigenous birds, indigenous reptiles, indigenous amphibians, indigenous fish, and other indigenous aquatic life the taking, collecting, holding, possession, propagation, release, display, or transport of which is governed by a provision of this code other than this subchapter or by a commission rule adopted under any provision of this code other than this subchapter and includes endangered species.

Wild Birds: All wild birds that migrate through or are indigenous to Texas, along with their plumage or other parts, eggs, nests and young are protected from harming, killing and/or possession by state and federal law except that European starlings, English sparrows, and feral pigeons may be killed at any time and their nests and eggs may be destroyed. A permit is not required to control grackles; cowbirds; yellow-headed, red-winged, rusty or Brewer's blackbirds; crows or magpies when these birds are considered a nuisance or causing a public health hazard. No birds may be controlled by any means considered illegal by local city or county ordinance.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/rehab/protected/

The keywords here being 'nuisance and/or 'public health hazard'.

Dispatching Nuisance Animals in Texas

However, if an animal is a non-game animal (non-protected) it can be hunted with any firearm that is legal, pellet gun, or air gun. Examples of non-game animals in Texas include but are not limited to armadillos, bobcats, coyotes, frogs, mountain lions, porcupines, turtles, rabbits, and prairie dogs. These animals have no closed hunting season and do require a hunting license. They can be taken at any time by lawful means on private property.

Non-game (non-protected) birds may include, but are not limited to, starlings, house sparrow, pigeons, and crows (if substantiated as a nuisance).These may be hunted at any time.

Grackles, starlings and blackbirds that are causing damage or creating a nuisance are not protected by either state or federal law and may be taken at any time.
https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/wildlife-nature-environment/controlling-roosting-birds-in-urban-areas/

[Firewalker]

Yupper, already covered above in another post, thus my comment "well played". 

[Keepingitsimple]

Yupper, already covered above in another post, thus my comment "well played". 

But, not covered by me to whom your point was directed.

Just for grins, I checked out MN's airgun hunting laws. Turns out you guys also have nuisance animal laws similar to ours.

Interestingly, I also checked out a couple of fact checking websites only to find they contradicted each other.

Minnesota
Like most other states, Minnesota prohibits the carrying or displaying of air rifles in public places. For hunting purposes, air rifles are generally acceptable. However, there are some exceptions. For example, hunting northern pocket gopher, bobwhite quails, English sparrow, and spotted skunks are prohibited.
https://outdoorever.com/air-gun-laws-by-state/

Minnesota
Minnesota allows air gun hunting for certain species. These species include:Coyote, Pigeons, Porcupine, Sparrow (<-- THIS ONE), Weasel   
https://airgunlaws.com/huntable-game-with-airguns-by-state/

One fact checker says you guys can hunt hosp's, but the other one says its prohibited. Which ones right?
Sure must get confusing.

Another website I looked at stated anyone wanting to hunt in MN should consult an attorney first as the laws are constantly changing. I can empathize with that. So do ours.

[anti-squirrel]

English House Sparrows are invasive and do not enjoy ANY protections in the US except in bird sanctuaries.  European Starlings and Collared doves are the only other avians thusly treated.

[avator]

Peter, I'm having troubles cyphering whether you keep a dictionary or an encyclopedia on your nightstand.... 

[Firewalker]

Jacob,  luckily for me, the CO for the 38,000 acre WMA I live across the road from likes to chat and like Texas, much of the rules are subject to interpretation so I get him to answer those questions for me and I just happen to keep my phone in my breast pocket when we speak as added insurance.

From Jim (the CO) I am told that HOSPs and Starlings are open game with any weapon at any time.

Skunks, bobcat, crows, whistlepigs, 13 stripe gophers and more are not prohibited but must "On their way to do damage or returning from doing damage or caught doing said damage" to crops, vivestock, structures (of any kind) or present a hazard to the property owner or their animals, ergo, holes in the ground, feces left and/or an "attractive nuisance" such that a pet would engage with it.

Ask another CO and I bet I would get a different answer.

[avator]

Jacob,  luckily for me, the CO for the 38,000 acre WMA I live across the road from likes to chat and like Texas, much of the rules are subject to interpretation so I get him to answer those questions for me and I just happen to keep my phone in my breast pocket when we speak as added insurance.

From Jim (the CO) I am told that HOSPs and Starlings are open game with any weapon at any time.

Skunks, bobcat, crows, whistlepigs, 13 stripe gophers and more are not prohibited but must "On their way to do damage or returning from doing damage or caught doing said damage" to crops, vivestock, structures (of any kind) or present a hazard to the property owner or their animals, ergo, holes in the ground, feces left and/or an "attractive nuisance" such that a pet would engage with it.

Ask another CO and I bet I would get a different answer.

So, the best approach may be to shoot them then squeeze the krap out of them..... 

[Firewalker]

I've told this story before but a CO told me when I was a kid you can only hunt crows that are going to do crop damage or are returning from doing crop damage, "Look there there's one going to do crop damage look over there there's one coming back from doing crop damage."

[avator]

I'm not even sure the crows know if they are coming or going.

[Robert 5mm]

You all know why there is never a dead crow along the road.

There is always a lookout - crying KAR, KAR

[Mickkk]

Not necessarily. The keywords here being 'nuisance and/or 'public health hazard'.

The other key words though, which may or may not apply to you, are:

"No birds may be controlled by any means considered illegal by local city or county ordinance."

If you're within the city of Fort Worth, it's illegal to shoot an air rifle unless you're on 10+ acres. 

[EdinGa]

I read posts like this and I'm thankful that I'm blessed to live out in a rural area. I don't take it for granted that I can enjoy my shooting hobbies without stressing over local rules and regulations.

[avator]

+1 Eddie
If I had to go someplace other than home to shoot my guns I wouldn't have them.